Interceptor's Duty
by Shadow's Interceptor
Summary: In response to the lack of Shadow fics out there. Shadow's end of the game, written in Interceptor's point of view. Strago and Relm are in it too. Rated T for one curse


_Hullo, this is my first fanfic, so tell me what you think. Kind comments are appreciated and flames are also appreciated. This scene takes place at the end of FF VI when Kefka's tower is collapsing. It's what I think should have happened after Interceptor leaves Shadow. I will never accept Shadow's death. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!! _

_I do not own Final Fantasy VI, if I did, Shadow and Leo would still be alive. I also make no money from this fanfic. I have taken two lines of dialogue from the game, but I added stuff in, just to make it make sense. _

_Anything in italics is Interceptor speaking. Because he is a dog, no one can understand him when he speaks. Duh._

The world was collapsing around him. Stones fell from the sky and the very earth beneath his paws was shaking and falling away. He was dead. The bad man was dead. The one who's very scent made his hackles rise and a snarl form in his throat. Dead, dead, dead. But even dead the bad man was trying to kill them. First it was with steel, then with the power, magic, the humans called it. Now with stone and shaking and storms and . . . everything!

Interceptor couldn't even see through the slashing downpour anymore. Running beside his boss, the man who others called Shadow, he could smell the group ahead of them. They smelled of blood and fear. But also of victory. His boss smelled of blood too. Interceptor saw what the humans did not, his colorblind eyes saw the texture of his boss's body covering change as the blood soaked through it. But that didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was to run, to get out of this land of shaking stone and storms.

Bounding forward, Interceptor barked, _Come on boss! _The others were getting farther away, their smell was getting fainter. Normally, his boss would listen when Interceptor gave the _come on_ bark. He would speed up, matching pace with the dark canine and trusting him to lead them both away from whatever danger they were in. But not now. Interceptor barked again. Maybe his boss hadn't heard him. He turned around about to bark again-

His boss had stopped! He was panting and resting his weight on a cliff face. Then, his boss did the unthinkable. He sat down! Interceptor ran over and shoved his head against his boss's side. This was no time to sit! They had to run! To escape! Whining, he pawed his boss's uninjured side.

"Go on Interceptor! Get going!"

He barked at him _Boss, we have to go! This place is dying, if we stay we'll die too!_

"Take care of yourself boy . . ."

_Boss, get up!_

"I'm staying here. But you have to protect the girl! Go!" he made the hand-command for 'charge' in the direction their party had headed, "Protect Relm you stupid mutt! Go!"

Interceptor whimpered. His boss wanted to die here? He knew his boss had memories that hurt him terribly, but . . . Howling his frustration, Interceptor turned and ran after the swiftly retreating party. He couldn't let his boss die, it was his job to keep his boss _alive_. But his boss wouldn't listen to him, couldn't listen to him.

_Relm, Relm_ he barked.

Now he could see them, Magic-girl leading them out, followed by the risk taker, the thief-man, and the woman who changed alliances. The litter-mates muscle-man and machine-man were helping the kupo-creature get over boulder that fell into the path. He saw the man bound by honor and the boy who spoke following the ice creature and the mirror-man in a path around the boulder. And at the very back, closest to him, were the elderly one and Relm.

Interceptor's booming bark alerted everyone to his coming before he came into sight. Skidding to a stop, he grabbed Relm's sleeve and pulled, tugging her back in the direction they had come.

"No silly," Relm said, "We don't want to go that way." Interceptor kept whining and tugging.

_It's the boss!_

"Interceptor, let go you dumb dog!" Strago yelled. He reached to pull the great jaws off Relm's sleeve, only to be snapped at and subjected to a long, low snarl.

Finally Relm seemed to sense the urgency in Interceptor's whimpers, "What's wrong boy? You're not hurt are you?" Interceptor yelped and danced away, running a few paced in the direction they had come for, then running back to her.

"Shadow, I think something is wrong with Interceptor!" Relm called out. She looked around, "Shadow?" The assassin did not appear. "Shadow!"

"Relm, come on! Leave the dumb dog, we have to get out of here!" Strago yelled.

Relm shook her head, "Grampa, Shadow's not here!" Leaning down she looked Interceptor in the eye. She formed her fist into one of the commands Shadow had taught her, 'Seek'. Interceptor looked back at her expectantly. Pulling out a piece of black cloth from her bag, Strago recognized the strip that Shadow had torn from his cloak to make a temporary bandage for one of Relm's wounds. Relm put the cloth in front of Interceptor's nose.

"Seek Shadow," she told him. Interceptor howled and bounded off into the storm, Relm close behind.

"Relm!" Strago screamed. Curse Shadow, he thought, just what she needs, another father figure disappointing her! Still yelling after his rapidly retreating granddaughter, Strago raced after the pair as fast as his tired old legs could carry him.

Interceptor barreled down the path, making sure that Relm was behind him. The ground shook harder under his paws. There wasn't much time now! Halting by the cliff face, he padded over to his boss's body. It looked like his was sleeping. Gripping his shoulder between his jaws, Interceptor shook him. Hard. His boss snapped out of the trance and groaned when he met Interceptor's eyes.

"I thought I told you to go!"

_Get up boss_, Interceptor whined. His boss pulled away from him.

"Interceptor . . ." his boss's voice got low and harsh, Interceptor knew that his boss wasn't pleased with him.

"Shadow!" Relm cried from the darkness. His boss's head snapped up and stared at the young girl running towards them. Interceptor could smell surprise and – fear. Complete and utter terror.

"What the hell!" his boss roared, struggling to his feet, "Get out of here!"

Contrary as always, Relm stayed. "Why weren't you behind us? Are you hurt? Can you walk? Interceptor came, but you didn't and I was scared and, and . . ." Relm stopped and gave a little hiccupping half-sob.

Before his boss could say anything, the elderly one appeared out of the darkness, puffing and wheezing. "Relm," he sputtered. Catching sight of the assassin behind her, he growled, "Shadow! What is the meaning of this?"

His boss stared at both of them, the panic smell coming off of him in waves. "I'm injured," he said quickly, "I'll just slow you down. Now go!"

Relm darted forward and grabbed his hand, "Not without you!"

His boss pulled his hand away and backed up.

"Please," he whispered, "please go."

_Why are you doing this boss?_ Interceptor whined.

"No!" Relm yelled. She ran to his boss and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't want to lose someone else!" she cried. His boss tried to pull away, but she just held on tighter.

"Relm," the elderly one yelled, "This place is crumbling around us!" As if to prove his statement, a large section of the cliff collapsed nearby, sending up a cloud of dust and stone particles.

"Cura," Relm whispered. A soft silver glow surrounded his boss, healing his injuries partway.

"I don't have enough magic for a Curaga," Relm said unhappily.

Incredulously, Interceptor watched his boss still try and push Relm away.

"Don't waste your magic on me," he muttered, "my injuries are deeper than that."

This, this was unacceptable! Didn't his boss get it! Relm needed him! She was willing to die for him! And all his boss could do was push her away! A snarl formed in Interceptor's throat as he stalked forward. Raising himself on his hind legs, he reared over Relm and planted his forepaws on his boss's chest. His boss's back slammed against the wall, causing him to cringe, but Interceptor didn't care. Drawing his lips back to expose his teeth, he moved his head until his cold black nose met his boss's pale one. The snarl continued to rumble through his frame as he glared into his boss's yellowish green eyes.

_This is wrong boss_ he snarled. His boss continued to stare at him, asking a question with his eyes, pleading, begging him to do something.

_I will not bring her away_ Interceptor snarled at him.

"Shadow," they heard the elderly one say, "come with us and we'll help you. It's was families do for each other." His boss drew a short, gasping breath.

"Yeah Shadow," Relm whimpered, uncharacteristic tears running down her face, "you're part of our family and families don't desert each other." His boss broke Interceptor's gaze to stare down at the little girl still clutching his waist, but now looking up at him. He met her eyes for a few moments, and suddenly swept an arm up, shoving Interceptor off.

"Curaja!" he roared and a blinding light covered them all, healing their wounds. When the light had cleared, he roared again, "Hastaga!" A red aura surrounded the four of them, and they felt their heartbeats speed up.

Relm and the elderly one looked at his boss in amazement. Relm started to say, "Why didn't you-" but the elderly one put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a 'look.' His boss gently untangled Relm's arms from his waist and took her hand. Another section of the cliffs collapsed, showing them with small rocks and dust.

_Come on!_ Interceptor howled. He galloped off in the direction of the flying ship. This time he didn't need to look behind him. His boss was practically pulling Relm and the elderly one along so that they matched Interceptor's pace. The dust clouded their vision, but his boss kept close beside him, trusting Interceptor to lead them all to safety.

_So, what do you think? Some clarification, Shadow has enough magic left to cast two major spells because he is an assassin, he doesn't use magic all that much, so it makes sense he would have some left. _

_Reviews are welcome. As are ideas for other stories._


End file.
